Xbox 360 owners' thread (Wannabes are Welcome!)

My launch 360 is starting to have problems. The disc drive wont open sometimes, it just kind of clicks and trys to open it. I just have to give it a swift hit to the top of the system and it pops open.

My launch 360 is starting to have problems. The disc drive wont open sometimes, it just kind of clicks and trys to open it.

A friend's launch console was doing the same thing. Replace the Small Square Belt. You can find replacements on eBay for about $5. Replacement can be performed without cracking the case, just need a pair or two of tweezers. You can try cleaning the belt, but it's probably both dirty and stretched.

I replaced the belt and the drive tray was back to opening and closing again with no issues.

My launch 360 is starting to have problems. The disc drive wont open sometimes, it just kind of clicks and trys to open it.

A friend's launch console was doing the same thing. Replace the Small Square Belt. You can find replacements on eBay for about $5. Replacement can be performed without cracking the case, just need a pair or two of tweezers. You can try cleaning the belt, but it's probably both dirty and stretched.

I replaced the belt and the drive tray was back to opening and closing again with no issues.

I don't like to brag, but I just totally won the Scratch & Match game. Unfortunately, my free avatar item won't download. So, all in all, a bittersweet victory for Psyact.

Congrats! I have been playing that several times a week (whenever I boot my 360 and remember to do it first) since it came out and never won. You might try going to xbox.com and looking at your download history and queueing it there to see if that works.

I have been using mine almost exclusively for netflix. I got a cheapo copy of Red Dead Redemption a couple of months ago, but lost interest fairly quickly. I just got sick of doing the same couple types of missions over and over again.

I have been using mine almost exclusively for netflix. I got a cheapo copy of Red Dead Redemption a couple of months ago, but lost interest fairly quickly. I just got sick of doing the same couple types of missions over and over again.

++ to the first part. I haven't been on 360 much lately.

...and WHHHAAA?! To the second part. That's a bummer that it didn't click with you, one of my all time favorite games. I just love it...so, so much. It's like a warm blanket...with pistols underneath it.

I have been using mine almost exclusively for netflix. I got a cheapo copy of Red Dead Redemption a couple of months ago, but lost interest fairly quickly. I just got sick of doing the same couple types of missions over and over again.

++ to the first part. I haven't been on 360 much lately.

...and WHHHAAA?! To the second part. That's a bummer that it didn't click with you, one of my all time favorite games. I just love it...so, so much. It's like a warm blanket...with pistols underneath it.

No kidding. Also, one of the best end games I've ever experienced in a game.

I have been using mine almost exclusively for netflix. I got a cheapo copy of Red Dead Redemption a couple of months ago, but lost interest fairly quickly. I just got sick of doing the same couple types of missions over and over again.

++ to the first part. I haven't been on 360 much lately.

...and WHHHAAA?! To the second part. That's a bummer that it didn't click with you, one of my all time favorite games. I just love it...so, so much. It's like a warm blanket...with pistols underneath it.

Go to the apps section, download "Sales & Specials". It's kind of a hub for the weekly deals, and it has a couple of games you can play. The Scratch & Match game is free, and even if you don't win, there are a couple of deals that you can take advantage of. I've actually picked up a couple games after losing because they're a little cheaper.

I've been hearing a bit about Canadian Netflix users changing some settings to get access to the USA Netflix service (which is several zillion percent better). I googled around a little and couldn't find a definite way of doing it.

Any Canadian xbox live gold users here successfully switched to the USA Netflix service?

It's simply a matter of changing DNS. Finding DNS that will work is the catch. There are some paid services which I believe work fine. There are some DNS that you can use for free, but in my experience, they don't seem to work all of the time.

Due to a couple random events, I finally had to buy a headset. I picked up the Turtle Beach X12. I have to say this thing is great. The sound is so much better than my previous setup. I honestly don't want to go back to anything else. Now I'm interested in the Astro sets. I don't have a spare $250 though.

I've been hearing a bit about Canadian Netflix users changing some settings to get access to the USA Netflix service (which is several zillion percent better). I googled around a little and couldn't find a definite way of doing it.

Any Canadian xbox live gold users here successfully switched to the USA Netflix service?

Hmmmmm. I should try our US Netflix login on my Canadian Gold account and see if it works from here. That could be handy, although Netflix works fine on our Boxee.

For some reason, Hulu is now acting strangely on my Xbox. The commercials will buffer every 1-2 seconds, while the show itself streams fine, or everything buffers or plays at an extremely low bitrate.

I tried signing out of the app, uninstalling it, clearing the cache, and reinstalling and reassociating with my Hulu account, but that doesn't seem to work. I've never had this problem before, but it's becoming too much of an issue for me to ignore it.

Also, when starting the app, it takes a solid 10-15 seconds to populate the menus. It sits on a screen with a bunch of gray squares until then. Normal?

So I alluded to this in the GTA V thread, but Microsoft is rumored to be releasing its next console this fall. How can this be if they haven't even officially announced it yet? Didn't they announce the 360 more than a year before it came out, or am I mis-remembering?

So I alluded to this in the GTA V thread, but Microsoft is rumored to be releasing its next console this fall. How can this be if they haven't even officially announced it yet? Didn't they announce the 360 more than a year before it came out, or am I mis-remembering?

I'm sure they want to squeeze as much life out of the 360 as possible. People are still buying it, but as soon as you announce your new console, those sales I'm sure drop significantly. So they hold off and announce as late as possible. Sony is announcing the PS4, and it'll likely be this year (don't think they can afford to be second place to MS again in terms of release).

I've been hearing a bit about Canadian Netflix users changing some settings to get access to the USA Netflix service (which is several zillion percent better). I googled around a little and couldn't find a definite way of doing it.

Any Canadian xbox live gold users here successfully switched to the USA Netflix service?

Hmmmmm. I should try our US Netflix login on my Canadian Gold account and see if it works from here. That could be handy, although Netflix works fine on our Boxee.

Netflix accounts work on your current location. If you're in the US, you get the American Netflix. If you're in Canada, you get Canadian Netflix.

So I alluded to this in the GTA V thread, but Microsoft is rumored to be releasing its next console this fall. How can this be if they haven't even officially announced it yet? Didn't they announce the 360 more than a year before it came out, or am I mis-remembering?

I think you're misremembering. It was announced at E3 2005, and launched that fall. There were rumors before that, but E3 was the official announcement.

So I alluded to this in the GTA V thread, but Microsoft is rumored to be releasing its next console this fall. How can this be if they haven't even officially announced it yet? Didn't they announce the 360 more than a year before it came out, or am I mis-remembering?

I think you're misremembering. It was announced at E3 2005, and launched that fall. There were rumors before that, but E3 was the official announcement.

Question from someone who does not own an Xbox. My fiancé's brother has an Xbox, and we were hoping that we could video chat between a PC and the Xbox. I know Skype isn't yet available on the Xbox, but is there any other way to do it? I've seen some references online to using Microsoft Live Messenger for the video chat, but with Microsoft phasing that out, is that still possible? One forum thread seemed to indicate no, but I couldn't find anything conclusive one way or the other.

Halfway through a new Skyrim playthrough my Xbox crapped out with an e 68. I have an Xbox 360 Elite with a 120 GB hard drive. The console starts up fine with the hard drive removed. I've read/watched some DIY fixes for e68, some of which involve aluminum foil.

Does anyone have experience fixing e68 at home? If I have to buy a new hard drive, is it possible to remove the data from my old one so I don't lose all my saves? Or is that disk toast?

Thanks CG. I'll have to see if I can pick up a cheap HD and transfer the data off the broken one. I hate the idea of spending any money on a 7th gen console with 8th gen looming over the horizon, but it just had to happen right when I was in the middle of Skyrim and remembering how engaging that game is.

Take it as a sign. Get a gaming PC. Not trolling you. You're playing what amounts to a demo compared to what the PC version can do. If for no other reason that, one day, modders will expand Skyrim into Cyrodiil and Vvardenfell by remaking Oblivion and Morrowind in the Skyrim engine, and possibly merging all three countries. Up for a walk from Seyda Neen to Anvil to Solitude? Some day...

Anyway, it looks like the 26th of April is when the next Xbox will be announced. As a now strictly PC gamer, I gotta say, Sony impressed me. I had a PS1 and PS2, but passed on the PS3. I don't think I will go back to console gaming, but if I do, PS4 looks better now than PS3 did when it was new. I can see myself going PS4 without losing much pride. So I'm sure Microsoft will have some interesting announcements. Sony was really leading the no-used-game charge, and they backed down, so I believe Microsoft will as well. (If they don't, they'll hand the generation to Sony. Then they might as well just call off the next Xbox and pour support into the 360.) I also agree with rumors that the next Xbox will support Blu-ray. I'm hoping for Bluetooth controllers as well. Oh, apparently there's also this rumor that since EA was absent from Sony's announcement, and Major Nelson announced "a major partner", people are saying EA is that partner...